Seed-treating machine



Feb. 19, 1929. 1,703,048 H. R. WARREN SEED TREATING MACHINE Original Filed Spt. 9; 1925 2 Sheets-Shem 1 H. R. WARREN SEED TREATING MACHINE Feb. 19, 1929.

Original Filed Sept. 9, 1925 2 Sheetse-Sheet gwumtoz Patented Feb. 7 19, 1929.

UN TED STATES f r'Arau-r ()FFICE.

HARRY a. WARREN, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, Ass-tense, I p I y no WARREN-Tenn SEED coiv rANY, OF CHICAGO, iii-L ners; A CORPORATION or NEVADA.

BY mEsNE nssieimniv'ns;

SEED-IREATING: MAC I E.

Application filed September 9, l925,-Seria1'No. 55,861. neneived oak-m 15; 1927.

This invention relatesto the treatment ofcertain classes otseeds for the-purpose of securing prompt and uniform germination of the seed. In certain classes-of seeds, as for example clover-s and other legumes, the seeds of the highest vitality are provided with an extremely hard shell or coating which offers great resistance to the penetration of moisture from WllUhOllt.

Other grades of the same seed are provided Witha coat or shell which is less-hard and, oflicrs less resistance to the penetration of moisture. The result of this isthat when seed are planted they germinate in Widely dilfercnt periodsof: time varying, with. some clovers forexample, 'fi'oinainonth ,toa year, and the best, most vigorous-and highly vitalvized seeds are those that take the longest to germinate because of the resistance to the penetration of moisture, which is an essential in the process of germination. llhis gives rise-to a number of decidedly serious consequences. clover crop one year much of the seed Will not-germinate untilthe next succeeding year When a different crop is planted upon the 7 .land, and the clover coming up is, in fact,

a pest to say nothing of the loss on the investment. Moreover, Where irrigation is employed, lands planted with clover seed have to be repeatedly irrigated in order to bring about germination, Whereas a single irrigation should be sufficient. These repeated irrigationsor flooding of the land not-only add greatly-to the expense, but the laterfloods are injurious to the younger plants that have already come up.

The object of the present invention is to.

provide means for so treating these hard coated seeds thatthey will be more easily penetrated by moisture, thereby insuring prompt germination of the most vigorous and highly vitalized seeds, a more vigorous growth oifplant and a resulting increase in cro VVith this Oh vect in view .the iresentl invention consists in means whereby the shell or hard outer coat of the seed is scarified or abraded so that the moisture essential to germination may readily penetrate the outer shell, which-means preferably includes mechanism for repeatedly bringing the seed into scarifying contact with an abrading sur- WVhen seed is planted.- for a.

face. More specifically stated, the invention consists of a suitable abrading surface or surfaces and a revolving drum or cylinder Within whichthe seeds are placed, andmeans for repeatedly elevating the seeds above said surface and. dropping them there- 7 upon. Said ahrading surface maybe either a stationaryor a moving surface, theessential being that the seed should be brought into abrading contact therewith; If desired, .the exterior drum or cylinder may be the cylinder or drurnaof an ordinary drum drier, and means are provided for revolving the-drum and for regulating the speed of the passage of the seed through the drum.

[speed of revolution.

The inventi-veideaiiivolved is capable of receiving a variety of mechanical expres- .SlODS, some of. 'WhlOll tor the purpose of illustration are shown in the accompanying drawings, but it is torbeexpressly understood that such-drawingsare for the purpose of illustration only and are not designed to define the limits of the invention,

reference-being had to the appendedclaiins for this purpose.

, In said -drawings Fig. 1' is a side elevation partly brokenaway of adryer; drum orcylinderembody ing' this invention; p,

Fig. 2 is a, transverse-sectional view of scarifying means different from .that shown :in Fig. 1;

dryer cylinder illustrating another-embodinient of the invention; and

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic end View of stillanother embodiment thereof.

Beferringto-the drawings, in which like reference characters indicate like parts throughout the several. .vi;ews, and first refer-ring to Figs, 1 end'2; 16 is a-platform or support pivotal-Ly ginounted on -a transverse *ig. 3 1s a broken side vievvot a 'form of horizontal pivot 29 carried by any suitable support, as by a pedestal shown in the drawing. Mounted in suitable bearings near the respective ends of the platform 16 are two rollers 14 and 15. A drum or cylinder 10, which may be an ordinary dryer drum, is provided. with two exterior annular flanges Hand 13 which rest respectively on the rollers i l and 15. The drum or dryer cylinder 10 is also provided with an exterior annular gear 17, which meshes with a gear 18 driven from any suit-able source of power, as a motor 19, which motor is provided with any suitable speed regulating or adjusting device, as indicated at 19. The interior surface of the drum or dryer cylinc er 10 is provided with a series ofinteriorly projecting seed li'ting vanes or ribs 11, the inner edges of said vanes being bent at an angle to the radii of the drum, whereby, as the drum revolves in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 2, the seeds are carried upward by the vanes 11 and fall therefrom as the vanes approach the highest point.' By this means the seeds are continuously lifted from the lower side of the drum or cylinder, carried to the upper portion thereof and dropped.

Within the drum or dryer cylinder 10 scarifying means are provided which may be either movingor stationary as desired. In the form shown in Figs. 1 and 2 said scarifying means consists of a cylinder 20, prefeably of sheet metal coated with carborundum or other abrading material, which cylinder is mounted. concentrically with the drum 10 in any suitable manner. As here shown, the cylinder 20 takes bearing in spiders 24 at the outer ends of the cylinder, the hearings being indicated at 22 and 23. If desired, suitable meanslnay be employed for revolving the abrading cylinder 20. As here shown, such means are in the form of a suitable motor 28 mounted on the lower end of the platform 16 which serves through ')ulleys 25, 26 and the belt 2'? to revolve the cylinder 20 in a direction reverse to that of the dryer drum or cylinder 10, as indicated by the arrows in. Fig. 2.

The speed of movement of the seed through the device will depend upon the rapidity of revolution of the cylinder 10 and of the angle of inclination thereof. For the purpose of varying said angle of inclination, the rear end of the platform 16 is provided with a pair of reversely threaded screws 31, one of which extends very little power is required for turning the fourth surface.

platform on the pivot. The seed is dethrough a suitable conduit 33 and emerges at the lower end into any suitable receptacle, as at 34,

By referring to Fig. 2, the operation of form of a carborundum-coated ribbon ll,

wound upon the exterior of the cylinder 40,

suitable bands 42 being provided at the oppesite ends to secure the ribbon in place.

Another embodiment of the inventive idea is disclosed. in Fig. 5 in which a plurality of abrading cylinders .5, here shown as three in number, are mounted eccentrically within the cylinder 10. These several cylinders may be provided with any suitable means, not shown, for revolving the same, and preferably, as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 5, they do notall revolve in the same direction. It will be readily perceived that such a plurality of cylinders will serve to throw the seed from one cylinder to another and thus more rapidly scarify the seed than would the single cylinder shown in Fig. 1, and with some classes of seeds this action may be found desirable.

Referring to Fig. 6, several stationary abrading surfaces 50, here shown as four in number, are provided, said surfaces being generally downwardly inclined to curve in wardly, and preferably they are arranged in a staggered relation so that the first surface delivers seed falling'thereon .to the second surface, which second in turn delivers to the third, and the third to the These several surfaces are provided with abrading material, as carborundum for example, and the passage of the seed thereover serves to scarify the hard coating. I

While the dryer drum or cylinder 10 is here shown placed at an angle of inclination to the horizontal, because in the major ity'of cases such inclination is desirable, it may be tound in some cases that ahorizontal posit-ion of the cylinder would. be most suitable. In such cases, the platform 10 can be adjusted so as to bring the cylinder to a horizontal position, or, if desired, the cylinder can be mounted on a permanent horirental support.

It will be observed that by the use of the machine described the seeds are repeatedly raised above the abrading surface and dropped thereon, thereby assuring a relive'red at the upper end of the cylinder I axis of the cylinder, and means delivering seed to the upper end of said cylinder.

2. In a maclnne of the character described. the combination of a revolving cylinder having interior longitudinally extending seed-receiving vanes, means supporting said cylinder at an angle to the horizontal, an abrading cylinder extending longitudinally Within said first named cylinder, and means for revolving said abrading cylinder in the reverse direction from that of the exterlor cylinder, and means delivering seed to the upper end of said. cylinder.

3. In a machine of the character described, the combination of an exterior cylinder. means for regulating the inclination of said cylinder atv an angle to the horizontal, a source of power for revolving said cylinder, means for regulating the speed of said source of power, and a revoluble abrading surface extending longitudinally through said inclined cylinder.

HARRY R. WARREN. 

